Shillong, Nov 4 A BJP minister in Meghalaya on Wednesday said that the party deserves another ministerial berth as it has become the second-largest party in the ruling coalition with 10 MLAs.
Veterinary Minister Sanbor Shullai said BJP legislators would meet Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma to press their demand.
The number of BJP MLAs increased from two to 10 after eight of the 12 UDP legislators joined the party in September.
Three of the remaining UDP MLAs defected to the NPP, the party led by the chief minister, last month. One of them was sworn in as a minister on Monday.
“The BJP has no objection to any NPP MLA being appointed as a minister, but as the second-largest party in the coalition, we should also be given due recognition,” Shullai said.
The BJP now has two ministers in the Cabinet, and one of whom was a former UDP MLA.
He said the BJP consistently supported the NPP during difficult political situations since 2023, when other parties were attempting to form a coalition government without the NPP.
Shullai, who is also in charge of several other departments such as legal metrology and fisheries, alleged that the NPP did not consult its coalition partner before carrying out the recent Cabinet reshuffle and that the BJP was overlooked in the distribution of ministerial portfolios.
While the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government received support and assistance from the BJP’s central leadership, the alleged lack of recognition for party legislators by the NPP was not a good sign for the coalition, he said.
Shullai said BJP legislators met the party’s Northeast co-in-charge Rajiv Babbar on Wednesday and apprised him of the political situation and their concerns over the cabinet reshuffle and portfolio allocation.
The matter would be taken up with the party’s central leadership in Delhi before any decision was taken, the minister said.
He also said he had met the chief minister and both deputy chief ministers and requested a meeting involving all BJP legislators to resolve the issue through mutual understanding.
(PTI News)
